RAF Halifax of 77 Squadron similar to the one that crashed in East Berlin, taking off from its base in Yorkshire (Image: UK CROWN COPYRIGHT / MOD. Courtesy of Air Historical Branch (Royal Air Force))

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An appeal has been launched to help trace the relatives of a Whitley Bay airman who was killed when his bomber crashed into a lake in East Berlin during World War Two.

Flight Sergeant Norman Thompson Steele, 21, was the RAF navigator on board 77 Squadron Halifax LK709 which failed to return from a bombing raid on Berlin on January 28, 1944.

Since no further news was received, the crew of seven were presumed killed in action.

Local eyewitnesses remembered seeing a Halifax bomber being hit by flak at around 3am on January 29, then crash into the lake.

The bodies of four of the seven crew were recovered and subsequently buried within the Berlin Commonwealth War Grave Cemetery.

In 1959 German newspapers reported the recovery of the wreckage of a Halifax from a lake in the Eastern zone of Berlin together with human remains which were handed over to British military authorities.

These unidentified remains were then buried in the Berlin war grave cemetery under a single headstone reflecting they were unknown airmen from the 1939 to 1945 war.

Following a recent review of historical records and on the recommendation of the RAF’s Air Historical Branch, it is now intended to have the headstone changed to reflect that those buried are crew members of Halifax LK709.

Nicola Nash, from the Ministry of Defence’s joint casualty and compassionate centre, said: “We know from our records that Norman’s last known address in Whitley Bay was Monkseaton Drive but unfortunately, that is about all we know and despite our best efforts we have not been able to trace any family members.

“We would very much like to track down any of Norman’s relatives with a view to inviting them to a possible headstone re-dedication ceremony so any help that anyone can give us would be much appreciated.”

The site of the Berlin 1939-45 War Cemetery was selected by the British Occupation Authorities and Commission officials jointly in 1945, soon after hostilities ceased.

The great majority of those buried here, around 80% of the total, were airmen who were lost in the air raids over Berlin and the towns in eastern Germany.

The remainder were men who died as prisoners of war, some of them in the forced march into Germany from camps in Poland, in front of the advancing Russians.

The cemetery contains 3,595 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, 397 of them unidentified.

Anyone with any information about Norman is asked to call Nicola on 01452 712612 extension 6063.